Sichuan loses 19 to 7.0-magnitude earthquake

7.0-magnitude earthquake struck a remote, mountainous part of China’s southwestern province of Sichuan, killing 19 people, including eight tourists, and injuring 247, the provincial government and official media said on Wednesday.

The quake hit a sparsely populated area northwest of the city of Guangyuan late on Tuesday at a depth of 10 km, the US Geological Survey said. Sichuan is frequently struck by tremors.

The Sichuan government said rescuers were gradually evacuating tourists and residents who had been cut off by landslides.

It added that 19 people had been killed, but most of those injured were not seriously hurt. In nearby Longnan in the neighbouring province of Gansu, also jolted by the quake, eight people died in landslides caused by heavy rain, the People’s Daily said.

A few dozen tourists were camped out at Jiuzhaigou airport, waiting for flights. The airport was open and beginning to evacuate people by air.

08Number of tourists killed

02No. of residents of Sichuan killed

09No. of unidentified deceased

247Total number of injured

45kNo. of tourists evacuated

1kNo. of tourists waiting to leave

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